MomSkoop
Pennsylvania has a dark history when it comes to mental health facilities and institutions. Many of these old buildings still stand today, offering ghost tours and paranormal experiences for brave visitors. This Halloween season, you can explore some of the most haunted and historic asylums in the state, each with its own chilling stories and eerie atmosphere.
1. Pennhurst State School & Hospital
of Greater Philadelphia
Originally opened in 1908, this facility was meant to care for people with intellectual disabilities. What happened inside these walls, however, became one of the darkest chapters in American mental health history. Overcrowding, abuse, and inhumane conditions plagued Pennhurst for decades until it finally closed in 1987.
Today, the site operates as a haunted attraction during Halloween season. Visitors can tour the actual buildings where patients once lived and suffered. The asylum’s reputation for paranormal activity draws ghost hunters from across the country, making it one of Pennsylvania’s most famous haunted locations.
2. Cresson Sanatorium & Prison
Built in 1913 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, this massive complex later served as a state prison. The building’s dual purpose gives it a uniquely dark history. Patients suffering from the deadly disease were treated here during the early 1900s, and many never left alive.
After closing as a medical facility, portions became a minimum-security prison. The combination of death from disease and criminal activity creates an intensely haunted atmosphere. Tours are available where guides share stories of apparitions, strange sounds, and unexplained phenomena reported throughout the crumbling corridors and abandoned treatment rooms.
3. Harrisburg State Hospital
Established in 1851, this psychiatric hospital served Pennsylvania’s capital region for over 150 years. Thousands of patients passed through its doors, many facing experimental treatments that would be considered barbaric by today’s standards. The facility grew to include dozens of buildings spread across hundreds of acres.
Though parts remain operational, several abandoned structures stand as reminders of the past. Ghost tours occasionally run through accessible areas, where participants learn about the hospital’s troubling history. Reports of shadow figures, disembodied voices, and cold spots make this location particularly popular with paranormal enthusiasts seeking authentic haunted experiences.
4. Norristown State Hospital
Founded in 1880, Norristown became one of Pennsylvania’s largest mental health facilities. At its peak, the hospital housed over 7,000 patients in conditions that were often overcrowded and underfunded. Treatments included lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and hydrotherapy, all standard practices during that era but horrifying to consider now.
Several buildings remain standing, though most are abandoned and off-limits to the public. During special Halloween events, limited access tours sometimes become available. The sheer size of the complex and its lengthy operational history contribute to countless ghost stories and paranormal claims from those who’ve explored the grounds.
5. Dixmont State Hospital
Operating from 1862 to 1984, Dixmont treated psychiatric patients for over a century. The hospital witnessed countless tragedies, with patients enduring harsh conditions and controversial treatments. Its Victorian-era architecture once dominated the hilltop landscape near Pittsburgh, creating an imposing presence visible for miles around.
Although most structures were demolished in 2006, the site’s history lingers. Some original buildings and foundations remain accessible during organized tours. Local paranormal groups frequently investigate the area, documenting strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena. The hospital’s legacy continues to fascinate those interested in both history and the supernatural aspects of abandoned institutions.
6. Farnsworth House Inn
While not technically an asylum, this Gettysburg inn served as a makeshift hospital during the Civil War battle. Wounded soldiers filled every room, and many died within these walls. The building still bears bullet holes and scars from the three-day conflict that claimed thousands of lives in 1863.
Today, guests can stay overnight in rooms reportedly haunted by soldiers and nurses. The basement mourning theater hosts ghost tours and paranormal investigations. Staff and visitors regularly report seeing apparitions in period clothing, hearing footsteps on empty floors, and experiencing unexplained temperature drops throughout the historic property.
7. Hill View Manor
This former poorhouse and nursing home operated from 1926 to 2004. Residents included elderly patients, those with mental illness, and people with nowhere else to go. The facility gained notoriety for its harsh living conditions and reports of patient mistreatment over its nearly 80-year operation.
Now privately owned, Hill View Manor hosts regular ghost tours and paranormal investigations. The building remains largely intact, with old medical equipment, patient belongings, and institutional furniture still in place. Visitors frequently capture strange photographs, hear unexplained voices, and feel unseen presences in the darkened hallways and patient rooms throughout the sprawling complex.
8. Rolling Hills Asylum
Actually located just across the Pennsylvania border in New York, Rolling Hills is close enough for Pennsylvania visitors to explore. Opening in 1827 as a poorhouse, it later became an asylum and nursing home. Over 1,700 documented deaths occurred on the property during its 145 years of operation, creating a heavy atmosphere.
The facility offers overnight paranormal investigations and guided tours year-round. With its proximity to Pennsylvania, many local ghost hunters consider it part of their haunted asylum circuit. Reports include full-body apparitions, shadow figures, and intense spiritual activity throughout the building’s many floors and wings.
9. Gettysburg National Military Park
Though primarily a battlefield, Gettysburg’s fields served as massive open-air hospitals during and after the July 1863 battle. Over 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing during three days of fighting. Makeshift medical tents covered the landscape, with surgeons performing amputations and treating horrific injuries with limited supplies.
Many buildings throughout the park served as temporary hospitals and morgues. Today, ghost tours explore these locations, sharing stories of paranormal encounters. Visitors report seeing phantom soldiers, hearing battle sounds, and experiencing overwhelming emotions in areas where thousands suffered and died, making Gettysburg one of America’s most haunted locations.